Apparatus for adjusting the position of a sheet of film on a support member



' Apfil 28, l97 0 YOSHIO'HAKAMATA ETAL APPARATUS FOR ADJUSTINGTHE POSITION OF A SHEET OF FILM ON A SUPPORT MEMBER Filed OCT,- 9, 1967 FIG. I

KIYOJI NAKAMURA ATTORNEYS.

FIG. 4 MEMO 4 Yosmo HAKAMATA United States Patent U.s.ic 95 11 3 Claims ABSTRACT on THE DISCLOSURE Air-apparatus for properly positioning a sheet of photographic film on a support member-consisting of a base plate for momentarily receiving asheet of film, movable guide elements for moving the sheet in a transverse direction on the base plate, a longitudinal reference device, and resilient members carried by the base plate for moving the sheet longitudinally into abutting position with the reference, device. The support member is a suction box that is moved toward and away from the base plate during 'a positioning operation'and has a cam surface for controlling the movement of the movable guide elements in the transverse direction as the suction box moves relativeto the base plate. The movable guide elements include cam followers which cooperate with the cam surface of the suction box and lever elements which are biased in a transverse direction with respect to the base plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE In case of using sheet films in a film magazine, unlike a roll film, they are removed, one by one, by means of suction or the like. Since the dimensions of the sheet films and those mechanical parts for carrying the films by suction are different from one another, it is difiicult to position each sheet film at the same exposure position in the camera. Nevertheless, it is indispensable to position them at the same position especially in case of standardized micro film, multi-printing and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a device for fixing a series of sheet films at a constant reference position on a suction plate which serves as an exposure station plate in spite of the variation in the dimensions of the sheet films. The position adjusting device in accordance with the present invention is constructed with a suction box for removing by suction, one by one of the sheet films accumulated in a film magazine. The suction box has therebeneath a suction face which acts as an exposure plate when moved into the exposure station and has sloped portions at the sides thereof for guiding-adjusting members. The adjusting members adjust the position of the sheet film in a transverse direction. An adjusting base plate is movable in a transverse and longitudinal direction at the same time for moving said sheet film on said suction face to the reference position thereon. A standard adjusting plate adjusts the. position of the sheet film in a longitudinal direction by contacting said adjusting base plate during base plate movement. A spring fixed to said adjusting base plate urges the end of the sheet film in a longitudinal direction. An adjusting member adjusts the position of the sheet film in a transverse direction, by being moved toward the center of said adjusting base plate along said sloped portion of said suction box. Thus the sheet films are positioned at the fixed reference position on the suction face of the suction box by moving said adjusting base plate in a transverse direction and a longitudinal direction.

3,508,479 Patented Apr. 28, 1970 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURE 1 is an elevational front view partly in sec- Q DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, a suction box 1 has sloped portions 5 at the opposite sides thereof and a suction face 2 provided with suction openings 4 opening into an interior suction compartment 3. The reference character 6 represents an adjusting base plate and 7 represents a standard adjusting plate being urged leftward by a spring. An adjusting pressure spring 8 opposes standard adjusting plate 7. A fixed guide roller 9 and movable guide rollers or cam followers 10 and 11 guide plate movement in a horizontal plane. Holding levers 14 and 15 are provided for movable guide rollers 10 and 11, respectively. A spring 12 urges said movable guide roller 10 to the right, FIGURE 1. One end of spring 12 is engaged with adjusting base plate 6 and the other end is engaged with a sliding lever 13. Though it is not shown in the drawing, the movable roller 11 is also disposed so that it is spring urged to the left. The reference character f indicates a film sheet.

The suction box 1 picks up one sheet of film accumulated in said film magazine 16 by means of suction within compartment 3. The sheet film adheres to the suction face 2 of said suction box 1. Since the sheet films are stored in the film magazine in various positions, films on said suction face, as caught, are not always positioned at the same position. The suction box 1, having a sheet of film on the suction face 2 thereof, is moved to the fixing station. This station, involves an adjusting base plate 6 which moves in a transverse direction. The adjusting base plate 6 cooperates with an adjusting pressure spring 8, a fixed guide roller 9 and movable guide rollers 10 and 11. When the base plate 6 moves, the fixed roller 9 and the movable rollers 10 and 11 guide the base plate 6, since they move along the sides of the suction box. When the adjusting base plate 6 reaches a reference position, the suction compartment 3 is relieved of suction by means (not shown) and the sheet film falls from said suction face 2 onto the adjusting base plate 6. The top end of said adjusting base plate 6 then meets the standard adjusting plate 7 at its reference position, and the adjusting pressure spring 8 pushes the back end of said sheet film on the adjusting base plate to urge the top end of the film in contact with the standard adjusting plate 7, whereby the film is adjusted to a reference position in a longitudinal direction, FIGURE 2.

Thereafter, the adjusting base plate 6 is moved upward close to the suction face 2 of the suction box. When the adjusting base plate 6 is moved upward, said movable rollers 10 and 11 advance along said sloped portions 5 of the suction box, FIGURE 1, in response to the movement of the sliding lever 13 which is urged to the center of the adjusting base plate 6 by a spring 12. The upward movement of said adjusting base plate 6 is stopped when the movable guide rollers 10, in moving along said sloped portion 5, causes the holding lever 14 thereof to contact the side end of the suction box 1. The sheet film is pushed by holding lever 14 of said movable guide roller 10 toward the holding lever 15 and the position of the film on plate *6 is thus adjusted in the transverse direction. In this case it is required that the force of the spring to urge the movableguiderollers 10 to the center of the adjusting base plate 6 be superior to that of the movable guide roller 11. The variation of the dimension of the sheet films is absorbed by the spring of the movable roller 11. If suction is thereafter applied to suction box 1 the sheet film is positioned at the fixed reference position on the suction face of the suction box. After the sheet film is positioned at the fixed reference position on the suction face 2, the suction box 1 is then moved to the exposure station of the camera and the films are serially exposed with each film at the same reference position.

What is claimed isi 1. In a camera for sequentially exposing a series of film sheets at an exposure station and including a suction box acting as an exposure station film supporting plate, the improvementcomprising: an adjusting station for adjusting the position of the film relative to the face of the suction box, said station including: a base plate for momentarily receiving said sheet, in response to removal of suction from said suction box when said suction box overlies said base plate, means carried by said plate for'moving both said suction box and said sheet carried thereby into longitudinal reference position, movable means carried by said adjustable base plate for moving said film sheet transversely of said base plate, and means carried by said suction box for controlling said transverse adjustment means as said suction box moves relative to said adjusting base plate.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control means comprises a sloped side wall carried by said suction box, and said movable means includes a lever on said base plate mounted for sliding movement in a transverse direction, relative to said adjustable base plate, said sliding lever includes cam follower means, for contacting said sloped side wall, and said apparatus further includes biasing means normally tending to move saidcam follower means and said sliding lever toward the center of said adjustable base plate, and means for moving said suction box toward and away from said adjusting base plate whereby, said cam follower means in riding upon said sloped outer wall of said suction box, causes said'sliding lever to move relative to said adjustable base plate to force said film sheet into transverse reference position relative to said. adjustable base plate and said suction box. v

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein said cam follower means comprises a plurality-of longitudinally spaced guide members, and said base plate carries a plurality of longitudinally spaced fixed guide members for contact with the side of said suction box opposite said cam follower means, and said apparatus further includes a longitudinal reference member positioned in the path of said movable plate and said suction box and biasing means carried by said adjusting base plate to cause said suction box and said film sheet to move longitudinally of saidbase plate along said longitudinal guide members and into abutting position with said longitudinal reference member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 7 2,379,279 5/1945 Costello f3'5s-}-73 3,413,903 12/1968 Maldarelli '95 11 NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner F. L. BRAUN, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 248363; 35573 

